Despite clear laws designed to protect the rights of pregnant working women, discrimination against pregnant employees remains pervasive. Federal mandates like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act, along with the state-level Arizona Civil Rights Act, serve to insulate pregnant women from unfair treatment. However, … [More]
Even Mobile Shoppers Prefer Live Consumer Support
Mobile shopping is booming in the U.S. as we prepare to enter 2019. According to the 2018 Internet Trends Report from Kleiner Perkins, mobile shopping app sessions grew 54 percent year-over-year — the fastest growth of any mobile activity. In addition to shaking up traditional monetization models for brands and retailers, this is driving how consumers expect to interact with … [More]
Managing Increased Holiday Time-Off Requests
Often referred to as the most wonderful time of the year, the holiday season can bring an abundance of social gatherings, gift exchanges and trips to visit family and friends. However, without proper planning, the holidays can easily become unproductive for businesses, with sparse offices or distracted employees. To help avoid a loss in productivity while managing an … [More]
Brands Under Fire
Nike. Starbucks. Patagonia. Nordstrom. Uber. Budweiser. Pepsi. NFL. What do these brands have in common? They’ve all been at the center of a firestorm of social and political controversy, poster children for the risks brands face today as they sit squarely in the crosshairs of a politicized marketplace. The news seems to carry a new story every day of another brand … [More]
Outsmarting the Smart Workplace
Smart technology can help employers forge a more motivated, efficient and effective workforce. But these devices also pose significant employment-law risks. While employee privacy concerns are one common issue, others are less obvious. Following the tips below can help employers avoid being caught off guard by addressing these legal risks early on. Be Vigilant and … [More]
Opioids as a Workforce Issue
Drug use by the American workforce is at its highest rate in more than a decade. Recently, national attention on drug misuse has focused on prescription opioids. In Arizona, opioid overdoses have increased by 74 percent since 2014. Opioid prescription medications are both a health and safety issue in the workplace. Companies of all sizes have an important role in promoting the … [More]
From Customer Service Mishap to Opportunity
A couple of months ago, Frontier Airlines provided us with a brilliant case study on the importance of customer experience. It’s a great example of how one simple customer service failure can have serious consequences in the form of a social media maelstrom. It began when poor weather conditions caused Flight 1756 from Des Moines to Orlando to be diverted to Atlanta on July … [More]
Arizona on the Threshold with FinTech Blockchain
Blockchain, if used to its potential, allows communities and innovators to create economic games that no one controls or commands through incentive design that rewards good actions. In financial services, that can allow decentralized networks to create protocols or tools to enable low-cost, low-overhead loans, settlement, peer-to-peer payments and even alternatives to debt or … [More]
Employment for Americans with Disabilities
Accommodations are an important factor in the successful hiring of people with disabilities, and in the retention of employees who develop new disabilities. Employers that are open to providing accommodations and have the capability to provide them, will have greater success in meeting their need for staffing. In the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released in … [More]
Communicate the Transformative Impact with Social Return on Investment
For nonprofits, communicating impact and value is crucial. While most businesses answer to a select group of owners, investors and shareholders, nonprofits must justify their existence and performance to a wide range of stakeholders. Donors, program partners, volunteers, board members, legislators, clients and local leaders all want constant assurances that their time, money … [More]
Is an Association Plan the Answer?
Competition and choice were two promises of the Affordable Care Act that have largely been unfulfilled. Will Association Health Plans be the flavor of the month and quickly vanish like the healthcare co-ops, or will they create a viable pathway to lower cost, more administratively efficient health insurance? Health Plan Associations have the opportunity to be nimbler than a … [More]
China’s Belt and Road Initiative
The Belt and Road Initiative is the largest initiative of the 21st century in terms of projected impact and given the strong political and financial drives behind it. The Chinese have called this initiative a bid to enhance regional connectivity for a brighter future; others have called it a push by China to create for itself a global role and to position itself in the middle … [More]
Tariffs: Up and Down the Arizona Craft Brewing Supply Chain
It may be stating the obvious to say that a tariff on any commodity will have a repercussion all along the supply chain it touches. Yes, that includes our favorite locally brewed beers. In Business Magazine spoke with Rob Fuller, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, to learn how President Trump’s recent tariffs impact these businesses and the businesses … [More]
Ethical Data Mining
A recent data breach involving Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, affected at least 87 million Facebook users. People’s data was unknowingly used for politically manipulative ads. While an extreme example of unethical data mining, the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal challenges businesses and marketers to think about the ways they collect, use and … [More]
Will Blockchain Uplevel the Arizona Real Estate Market?
Love it or hate it, blockchain is disrupting nearly every industry. And while most associate blockchain with Bitcoin or cryptocurrency, it really refers to its underlying technology — and that technology holds a tremendous amount of promise to a range of industries and uses, including real estate. What exactly is blockchain? In a nutshell, it’s a decentralized, distributed … [More]
Five Cryptocurrency Tax Mistakes the IRS Takes Seriously
Since the release of Bitcoin in 2009, more than 4,000 alternative currencies have emerged in the decentralized banking market. For nearly 10 years, the IRS has sought to gain a foothold in what has since become a booming market with a rising number of participating asset holders. The recent Coinbase, Inc. case ruling makes it clear that the United States government is intent on … [More]
The Opportunity Zone Program (Part 2)
The Opportunity Zone Program is new federal income tax incentive program designed to encourage private capital investment in Opportunity Zones (O-Zones), which are certain designated areas throughout the United States. Opportunity Funds (O-Funds) act as intermediaries between O-Fund investors and the actual investments in the O-Zone. O-Funds are required to hold 90 percent … [More]
Top Influencers for Online Sales Are … (Surprise!)
Top-ranked reviewers on online retail sites such as amazon.com may influence purchases, but a research study from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business finds that those who post reviews less often and more informally can be seen as more trustworthy and have more of an impact on sales. Shyam Gopinath, assistant professor of marketing at Kelley, and two co-authors of … [More]
